Teaching Ability

It could be argued that every class is mixed ability in some sense. For EFL teaching the general situation is that learners are placed into levels, having completed a standard level test before they start learning. It is possible that you will have to teach real mixed ability classes, for example where a group of workers from a particular company department all come at the one time of day for their lessons. The main approach to teaching such classes is to use differentiated activities.  [Read more]

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Teaching EFL in a Kindergarten My experience as a bilingual kindergarten (Spanish/English) teacher has demonstrated the ability children have to learn two languages in an immersion program. Through a well-structured program including reading, journal writing and phonics (Aranjo) my students acquired a broad vocabulary and the ability to communicate with confidence to their peers and adults. The curriculum is presented to kids in a fun exciting way including storytelling, song, chants, games, rhymes, movement, dance, cultural lessons and holiday celebrations (Faust). It is essential to commit to the faithful implementation of the English learning program for the minimal 45 minutes a day to provide the consistency and practice needed for their success. Brain research supports the belief...  [Read more]

  No, TEFL certificates do not expire, they are valid for life. Once you have completed your course, either online or by attending a training center, you will be able to start work straight away or set off on your travels and use it later when your funds starts to get low. A TEFL certificate really is a great qualification to have in your backpack or briefcase as you can use it to earn a good income at any time, in any part of the world. Although your certification will never expire, we do recommend that you continue to develop your skills and knowledge as you progress in your teaching career. Additional courses such as an advanced TEFL Diploma or a specialized certificate in teaching business English or teaching young learners will build on your existing skills, allowing you to...  [Read more]

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Classes of Mixed Ability You walk into your first class in a new school. You begin with introductions and to your dismay you find a great disparity in the students’ English skills. There are students who have spent time abroad and others who are struggling with Basic English sentence structure. The focus of this article will be to weigh the advantages of 2 teaching strategies for classes of mixed ability introduced in the International TESOL Teacher Training (ITTT) course: grouping similar ability levels and pairing strong with weak students. The first strategy is to separate students within the class so that they have similar levels as the students they do activities with. The main advantages of this strategy are the ability to separate material and to focus on needs separately. When...  [Read more]

Fluency in language learning is the ability to use the spoken or written form of the language to communicate effectively. While fluency does require a reasonable knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, the language produced does not need to be flawless as long as you are able to be clearly understood. In contrast, accuracy refers to the production of grammatically correct spoken or written language. While it is important to learn the correct forms of the language, accuracy does not guarantee the ability to communicate fluently. Often the hardest part of a language teacher’s job is finding the right balance between fluency and accuracy related teaching in the classroom, as both are equally important. However, the student’s reason for studying the language will sometimes dictate the balance...  [Read more]

If Italy’s combination of superb food and wine, and la dolce vita - the sweet life – doesn’t grab you, then nothing will. Italy proudly boasts fabulous art and opera, a magnificent array of ancient monuments, and history stretching back thousands of years. Whether you head for fashionable Milan, or ancient Rome in this relatively small country you’re never too far away from great beaches, verdant rolling hills or alpine skiing. Who could ask for more? The language primarily in use is Italian, however, it may be useful to note that Italians can understand Spanish. Outside the main tourist areas English is not widely spoken, and indeed the Italian education system is a little deficient on this front. This deficiency in the high-school education provision is one of the reasons that...  [Read more]

  http://www.teflcourse.net This video looks at how two present tenses can be used to talk about the future. The two tenses are the present simple and present continuous. The present simple is used to talk about time tables and scheduled events. The bus leaves at 12. The concert starts at 8. The present continuous is used to talk about future arrangements. I am playing football at the weekend. ITTT's online TESOL courses feature other videos explaining the future tense as well as other important grammar points needed by all potential English teachers. To find a TESOL course that is best suited to your needs visit us by following the link above. Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started today: https://www.teflcourse.net/?cu=YTDESCRIPTION Below you...  [Read more]

  There are some general Do's and Don'ts that need to be considered when teaching business English. Watch this video to get more insight into teaching this special group of learners. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. By watching the two video's you can clearly see how a teacher's attitude and teaching style will have a huge impact on the students and their ability to learn. If a teacher can actively engage the students and give good examples...  [Read more]

  Livinus is from Cameroon and is teaching English in China. He recently took our 120-hour online certification course and enjoyed working through the 20 units. He enjoyed the flexibility the course gave him to complete the course. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In this lesson we learned about teaching pronunciation and phonology. This was my most difficult lesson thus far. I especially found the part about the phonology hard. I will probably...  [Read more]

Learning modes: Young learners vs. adults he role of a teacher is a vast and varied one and there is a considerable amount of factors that will affect this role. One of the main factors that really effects how and what we decide to teach is the age of the students. For instance you could not walk into a classroom full of eight year old primary school children with the same lesson plan designed for teaching a group of 3rd year degree students. Other then the differences that would occur in academic ability, between these two groups, people of different ages have very different needs, competences and cognitive skills. For example, it is through play that much of children's early learning is achieved. (1) ‘The physical, socio-emotional and intellectual development of children is dependent...  [Read more]

  Would you like to live and work abroad? With a TEFL or TESOL certificate you can work and live abroad, Teaching English as a Foreign Language or Teaching English as a Second Language. Check out ITTT's courses and start a new life with a TEFL or TESOL certification! Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. I enjoyed the breakdown of the different techniques and methods. The examples of each stage (study, engage, activate) were extremely helpful as...  [Read more]

  The idiom "green thumb" refers to the ability to grow plants well, for example: Whenever I buy a plant, it always dies shortly after. I really don't have a green thumb. Because my plants always die, I don't have the ability to grow plants well, hence, I don't have a green thumb. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In the classroom, I often use the teaching aids provided by the school, for example; whiteboards, iPads, coursebooks, flashcards, DVD...  [Read more]

A test designed to indicate a teaching need. In an EFL setting this may be a general test to diagnose a lack of ability in one of the four main skills, i.e. reading, writing, speaking and listening. Alternatively, it could be targeted to an area of language learning, such as grammar.  [Read more]

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{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ [ {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh0","name": "What does TESOL stand for?","url": "https://www.tesolcourse.com/tesol-faqs/tefl-tesol/what-is-the-difference-between-tesol-and-ielts/#nameh0"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh1","name": "What does IELTS stand for?","url": "https://www.tesolcourse.com/tesol-faqs/tefl-tesol/what-is-the-difference-between-tesol-and-ielts/#nameh1"} ] ] } TESOL and IELTS represent two distinctly different aspects of English language education. TESOL is a teaching certification indicating that an individual is qualified to teach English to non-native speakers. It focuses...  [Read more]

It can be argued that all classrooms should operate with differentiated instruction. However in EFL teaching the vast majority of classes will have been created at a particular English Language proficiency level. This means that differentiating tasks to address different levels (as with mixed ability classrooms) is less of an issue.  [Read more]

Multiple Intelligences The theory of Multiple Intelligences stems from the underlying notion of different areas of aptitudes and strengths within people’s personalities. This theory pertains to an educational model that measure seven different areas of “intelligence.” Popularized by psychologies Howard Gardner, this methodology allows what he refers to as “individual centered” curriculum within schools. In other words, schools could focus on what needs the students had rather than a broad general curriculum across the board. Many have criticised this methodology for abandoning previously held empirical methodologies. This methodology, claimed by critics, was based on intuition rather than empirical data; thus, making it an inconsistent and unreliable method. Apart from the...  [Read more]